By Conrad Mwanawashe
About 21% of the available wetlands in Zimbabwe are severely degraded while 18% are stable and pristine and 61% are moderately degraded making conservation and wise use of wetlands is vital.
In that regard, currently, 92 wetland restoration projects have been implemented across the country with support from government and development partners.
These include Nyamuenda Wetland in Nyanga, Domborutinhira in Mutasa, Nyamhara wetland in UMP, Kasibo wetland in Hwange, Muvhami Wetland in Makonde, Mpompini wetland in Insiza and Songore Wetland in Murehwa, among many others. Communities are benefiting from market gardening, appiculture and fish farming, whilst at the same time conserving their wetlands, according to Environment, Climate and Wildlife Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu.
Minister Ndlovu was addressing a press briefing on the World Wetlands Day (WWD). This year, the World Wetlands Day is being commemorated under the theme, ‘Wetlands and human well-being’.
“As a country therefore, our commemoration will run under the banner, ‘Wetlands for Sustainable Livelihoods’. The theme clearly highlights how interconnected wetlands and human life are, with people drawing sustenance, inspiration and resilience from these productive ecosystems. It calls on each of us to value our wetlands,” said Minister Ndlovu.
“Human well-being is irrevocably tied to the state of the world’s wetlands. We are dependent on these life-sustaining ecosystems. However, they must be healthy if they are to continue to provide us with water and food, support biodiversity, provide livelihoods, protect against extreme weather events, and mitigate against climate change,” he added.
World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on 2 February. This day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. This year’s World Wetlands Day which will be held at Gutu Wetland in Murehwa District of Mashonaland East.
The world has lost 85% of its wetlands since the 1700s, which are disappearing three times faster than forests. In just 50 years since 1970 about 35% of the world’s wetlands have been lost. Human activities that lead to loss of wetlands include drainage and infilling for agriculture and construction, pollution, overfishing and over-exploitation of resources, invasive species and climate change. In the last five decades, 81% of inland wetland species and 36% of coastal and marine species have declined.
Wetlands cover approximately 136 595.8km2 which is 34.96% of the total area of the country.
Minister Ndlovu said in a bid to save wetlands from further destruction, the government, through the Environment ministry, developed the National Wetlands Policy, Masterplan and Guidelines to inform decision making and development planning by government, private sector, development partners, traditional leaders, communities and individuals.
“My ministry through the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), is involved in wetlands protection and utilisation projects across the country to demonstrate to communities that wetland protection and sustainable utilisation is possible. Wetland restoration is essential to overcoming the climate-biodiversity crisis.
“The contributions that wetlands make to human well-being have often been underappreciated. Consequently, wetland management has been overlooked in development planning,” said Minister Ndlovu.
